Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

[len]

If you watched the Victoria's Secret fashion show, what was your opinion of the backstage "cues" they were broadcasting

 

[headcrab]

You had time to watch that? I was here on CB.

 

[ruinexplorer]

Didn't even know it was on. Still probably wouldn't have watched it. But, for my edification, what are the "cues" that you are talking about? Were they attempting to make it appear that they were broadcasting behind the scenes as well?

 

[shiben]

You had time to watch that? I was here on CB.

One thing on TV that I actually watch.

 

[soundman]

Didn't even know it was on. Still probably wouldn't have watched it. But, for my edification, what are the "cues" that you are talking about? Were they attempting to make it appear that they were broadcasting behind the scenes as well?

As they were coming back or going to commercial they would put the com feed into the audio. So you would hear the SM call a few cues and announce the girls that needed to be up next.

 

[ScottT]

I thought it was completely pointless... They probably just put it in as filler because before the commercials the song or performance had finished

 

[gafftaper]

Here's a link.

I watched for a few minutes... purely for educational purposes of course. I'm convinced that those calls were completely fake. Randomly you would hear stuff like, "34 models in the house", "the most beautiful women in the world are all here", calling out which model is up next and what they are wearing, at about 2:30 there is "standing bye fly cue 40..." but I don't see anything fly. FAKE! No real self respecting SM working at that sort of level would provide us that kind of constant inane commentary about how the girls look coming and going from the stage. I found it so annoying I couldn't watch it any more.


Yes, you know you have worked on too many shows when annoying fake SM calls make you turn off a lingerie fashion show.

 

[len]

Thanks for finding the link. The only ones I could find were Kate Perry performances, and stuff with no audio. When I heard they were doing that I couldn't believe how phony they were.

BTW, I think the CW will be broadcasting it again this week. Not sure the date.

 

[DuckJordan]

okay, to me it was a design element, they were going for the whole, backstage, dark corner, underground look for their show. To me everyone is looking at this from the wrong angle similar to the whole "never show your stage lights" idea. The whole setup was made to look like the theater design, probably going off of the popularity of glee and the new movie Burlesque.

Its a style that they wanted the viewers at home to experience not just the famous celebrities and fashion designers in the studio.

 

[BrianWolfe]

We actually did some work for that show. We made a pair of wings and the giant fake barbells. The "cues" were all style and totally fake. I found the whole thing pretty annoying. Not sure how that show gets anyone to buy their stuff. But advertising in general has always baffled me. The models are nice to look at.

 

[shiben]

Not sure how that show gets anyone to buy their stuff. But advertising in general has always baffled me. The models are nice to look at.

I think the whole purpose is to get men interested in the brand. I would assume that around this time of year, the majority of VS revenue comes from men, so having the show just gets the name out there more, any guy without any good gift ideas can just run in? Not really sure, but its a possibility.

 

[shiben]

Here's a link.

I watched for a few minutes... purely for educational purposes of course. I'm convinced that those calls were completely fake. Randomly you would hear stuff like, "34 models in the house", "the most beautiful women in the world are all here", calling out which model is up next and what they are wearing, at about 2:30 there is "standing bye fly cue 40..." but I don't see anything fly. FAKE! No real self respecting SM working at that sort of level would provide us that kind of constant inane commentary about how the girls look coming and going from the stage. I found it so annoying I couldn't watch it any more.


Yes, you know you have worked on too many shows when annoying fake SM calls make you turn off a lingerie fashion show.

I thought it just sounded silly by the end, it was ok when it was right at the begining and sounded like part of the song, where it was "and main curtain open" as it happened. After that, it was surpfulous, and boring.

 

[gafftaper]

okay, to me it was a design element, they were going for the whole, backstage, dark corner, underground look for their show. To me everyone is looking at this from the wrong angle similar to the whole "never show your stage lights" idea. The whole setup was made to look like the theater design, probably going off of the popularity of glee and the new movie Burlesque.
Its a style that they wanted the viewers at home to experience not just the famous celebrities and fashion designers in the studio.

I agree that was the purpose. But it was really irritating when you know what an SM really does. Now everyone is going to think that giving fashion advice is what a SM does during a show. If I was the real SM who worked that show I would be more than a little upset of how my work is being characterized.

 

[soundman]

But it was really irritating when you know what an SM really does. Now everyone is going to think that giving fashion advice is what a SM does during a show. If I was the real SM who worked that show I would be more than a little upset of how my work is being characterized.

I would take a different approach and laugh all the way to the bank. Because of the fashion component of the show it would not surprise me if they had an 'ego boosting feed' which is what most of the chatter was about. As I recall there were a few times where the 'cues' and ego boosting overlapped so it makes me think they either created the whole thing or pulled it from a few channels.

In "All That Jazz" there is a scene where they are setting levels and the op doesn't seem to quite get it. That operator is Jules Fisher playing himself. Sometimes you need to be able to laugh at yourself.

 

[DuckJordan]

are you trying to say you have never heard headset chatter during a show before? I don't think i can remember doing a show that didn't have chatter that would be judging what people were wearing. most of the time it wasn't even supposed to look good

 

[soundman]

are you trying to say you have never heard headset chatter during a show before? I don't think i can remember doing a show that didn't have chatter that would be judging what people were wearing. most of the time it wasn't even supposed to look good

Most of the chatter was directed towards the girls if I recall correctly. IE Looking great ladies, love the energy.

 

[blackisthenewblack]

Just from seeing the opening clip, it sounds like a combination of two channels, the actual show channel and the "model/designer" channel. I thought that some of the chatter was decent, although half of it sounded super edited. I have listened into many coms, and they sound nothing like that, it sounds like video games with "radio" chatter.

What I would like to point out though, is that there is an interest in the industry that puts on these events (not VS, but the technicians). People want to know how all of this technicolor magic is being done, because we stand on an interesting edge, of seeing everything, but in a produced manor. Especially "fly cue 40" which I think might be the fresnels. One interesting thing was the bare look of the lights, rather than trying to fashionize them with sequins on some molded casing or something.

 

[Anonymous067]

Personally, I think this is downright annoying, and a little bit insulting.

Not to mention, most people at home don't care what the SM is doing (sadly). They don't have any appreciation for the technicians whether they can hear them or not.

Just my 2cents.

 

[MarshallPope]

I keep trying to reply to this, but am always distracted.

Anyway,

I'm torn on this one. On one hand, I think it was kind of cool that they did it, and can definitely see where they were going artistically with it. They wanted it to seem more "backstage-y" and probably to fill up aural empty spaces in the broadcast. Personally, the show would be pretty boring if I wasn't looking at the technical elements or listening to some drivel between the introductions of various outfits.

On the other hand, the way they characterized the chatter was quite annoying after the first five minutes. Sure, you will have reactions to what is going on onstage and might occasionally overhear a "good job" from the SM or someone, but it got very irritating very quickly.

 

[DuckJordan]

I keep trying to reply to this, but am always distracted.

Anyway,

I'm torn on this one. On one hand, I think it was kind of cool that they did it, and can definitely see where they were going artistically with it. They wanted it to seem more "backstage-y" and probably to fill up aural empty spaces in the broadcast. Personally, the show would be pretty boring if I wasn't looking at the technical elements or listening to some drivel between the introductions of various outfits.

On the other hand, the way they characterized the chatter was quite annoying after the first five minutes. Sure, you will have reactions to what is going on onstage and might occasionally overhear a "good job" from the SM or someone, but it got very irritating very quickly.

I think they wanted to put some emphasis on the tech but making sure that the real "Show" was the girls, hence the so many good job, looking great things like that when talking about the girls.